Curler ejected from Saskatchewan Brier playdowns

The playdowns for Saskatchewan's entry to the Tim Hortons Brier got heated over the weekend - so much so that a player from the eventual winning team was ejected from a semi-final match.

Chris Schille — who plays second for Regina Callie's Brock Virtue, was asked to leave the B-final match by the Saskatchewan Curling Association for using profane language and kicking a rock during a televised game.

Deanne Rindal is the event's alternate head official and the person who asked Schille to leave.

"The whole event was disappointing," Rindal told the Regina Leader-Post. "There was language and actions out there that aren't acceptable. Numerous teams were talked to, warnings were issued to many teams. It's been building and building."

Schille, who has played at the Brier before with Newfoundland in 2007 and 2008, turned to Twitter to voice his disappointment over the situation.

"No point in lying about what happened is it was on TV for all to see. I kicked I rock into the corner after a 'made' double by Brock," Schille tweeted.

He also tweeted:

"Apparently the lovely lady never competed in her sad life official saw it differently. Instead of talking it over I was given 15 seconds ..."

"To leave the ice or we forfeit the game, then given 5 more minutes to change and leave the building before being 'physically removed' ...."

"This is clearly all very acceptable and I should probably also be thrown in jail, maximum security at that. Twenty-five to life sounds fair."

Virtue's team played with three men in the B-Final and still managed a 5-3 victory to advance to the Tankard final. Schille returned for the championship match and contributed to a 6-4 victory.

Schille told the Leader-Post that he didn't regret sending the Tweets, but said his outburst was much more controlled than what he had been accused of doing.

"We knew everyone was on thin ice, based on what happened at southerns and northerns (qualifiers)," Schille said. "We were warned before the event, and they came up and told us a few times, lower your voice or don't bang your broom as hard. I guess that time, she'd just had enough. I swore under my breath and kicked a rock into the corner, and when I came off she said to keep walking. We tried to reason with her, and all she did was say 15 seconds, you forfeit the game," said Schille.

Virtue and his rink will represent Saskatchewan at the Tim Hortons Brier in Edmonton beginning March 2.